Juniperus chinesis plant named ‘Nedsyelo’

ABSTRACT

A new plant variety of  Juniperus chinensis  that is distinguished from its parent and all other varieties of  Juniperus chinensis  by having bright yellow-green needles combined with unusually slow growth and compact habit.

Latin name: Juniperus chinensis .

Varietal denomination: ‘Nedsyelo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Juniperuschinensis which occurred as a branch sport mutation on a maturecultivated specimen of Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfizteriana’ (not patented)in a foundation landscape planting near Amanda, Ohio U.S. and discoveredby Mr. Ned D. Rader of Amanda, Ohio. The varietal denomination of thenew variety is ‘Nedsyelo’. The genus Juniperus is included within thefamily Cupressaceae which comprises about 60 species in the northernhemisphere from the Polar Regions to high elevations in the tropics.Junipers range in habit from groundcovers to small trees. Leavesarranged oppositely or in whorls are either scale-like (adult) or awlshaped or acicular leaves (uvenile). Junipers are generally dioeciouswith male sporophylls numbering 3–7, yellow. Seed cones appear fleshy orberry-like, glaucous, consisting of 3–8 united scales.

‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper was first asexually reproduced by Mr. Rader atAmanda, Ohio in the summer of 1991 when he took cuttings from the sportbranch of the parent plant, which branch was showing the yellow foliageof ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper. In the initial propagation of this plant, summercuttings were used. They were cut to a length of 3–5″, dipped inIndolebutyric acid rooting hormone (IBA), stuck in a combinationsand/styrofoam rooting medium and placed under a mist system whichmisted every 10 minutes for 6–10 seconds. They were left under the mistsystem until they were rooted, then kept in the greenhouse over thefirst winter. Subsequent propagation was done as winter cuttings. Allpropagation of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper remains true to the original branchsport mutation.

‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper is easily reproduced from winter hardwood cuttingstaken in November through January, averaging a success rate of 60–90%.The rooted cuttings grow off quickly in 2½″ pots and can be transplantedinto 1 gallon containers and finished out at the end of 1 or 2 growingseasons.

To date, there has been no burning of foliage, no insect or diseaseinfestation, drought, or cold hardiness effect on any of the 100–200plants that are growing at Amanda, Ohio for 10–15 years. These plantshave not suffered any dieback from winter cold temperatures even thoughthey have been through drought conditions and temperature lows of −15degrees Fahrenheit. The plants have never received any irrigation whenplanted in field conditions. No fruit or flowers have been noticed onthe older plants to date. The only fragrance produced is when the leavesare crushed or cut. Deer do not bother the plants even though deer arepresent in substantial numbers.

Plant shows hardiness, surviving stressful conditions of extreme droughtand extreme high and low temperatures without burning of foliage. Eventhough the plant is vigorous, it does not spend its energy in becominglarge, rather it remains compact (about half the size of other yellowjunipers such as ‘Saybrook Gold’ Juniper—U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,014) andsymmetrically shaped over time, requiring little maintenance. I measured3 specimens of ‘Saybrook Gold’ Juniper which were growing at anarboretum in Newark, Ohio. These plants were growing in a spaced out,arboretum-like area. These plants measured six feet high by eleven feetwide (19 years old); six feet high by sixteen feet wide (25 years old);eight feet high by thirteen feet wide (20 years old). These areconsiderably larger than the oldest plants of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper, whichis four feet high by six feet wide (17 years old).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety was discovered as a spontaneous branch sport mutation ona mature specimen of Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfitzeriana’ growing at aresidential site located at Amanda, Ohio. The parent has subsequentlydied and has been removed. The new variety differs from its parent inhaving bright yellow outer needles and creamy yellow-green interiorneedles. The new variety also exhibits an unusually slow growth rate andmaintains a distinctively compact habit. The asexual reproduction of thenew variety in Amanda, Ohio by cutting propagation has confirmed thatthe distinctive qualities of the new variety are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

COMPARISON WITH PARENT AND KNOWN CULTIVARS

The parent plant is a Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfitzeriana’. It is a large,10–15′ wide and 8–10′ tall conifer shrub with glaucous (bluish)scale-like and juvenile glaucous foliage on stout arm-like branchesascending at acute angles with drooping tips. ‘Nedsyelo’ isdistinguished from its parent and other varieties of Chinese Juniper byits bright yellow needles which maintain this bright color year-aroundand by its slow growth and compact habit.

‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper is more compact growing with bright yellow newgrowth, starting in spring and lasting throughout the following winterinto the next spring, so that the first year growth remains yellowthrough the winter until the beginning of the second spring, when newyellow growth begins again and the second year wood turns orange-tan,but has new yellow growth on it also. Shaded foliage is mostly lightgreen with slight blue-green (glaucous) mixed in. New growth shows theyellow color best in sunlight. New growth is bright lemon yellow insunlight and stays yellow throughout the first winter. New growth is amoderate 3–6″ as compared to Saybrook Gold Juniper, which is fastergrowing. ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper is dwarfer than Saybrook Gold Juniper.‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper at 15 years is 7′ wide×4′ tall, whereas Saybrook GoldJuniper is 15′ wide×9′ tall at 20 years. ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper does notshow any tip blight whereas Saybrook Gold Juniper shows severe tipblight in rainy years at Wooster, Ohio. Additional observations are asfollows:

-   -   1. Juniperus c. ‘Saybrook Gold’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,014)        (2–3′H×6′W—Similar to ‘Nedsyelo’ but showing old gold color in        winter; not as lemon yellow as ‘Nedsyelo’. Plants that were 6′        H×12′ W showed lots of tip blight;    -   2. ‘Gold Coast’ Juniper (not patented) (3′H×4–5′W)—Similar to        ‘Nedsyelo’ but not as yellow in spring;    -   3. ‘Gold Sovereign’ Juniper (not patented) (18–24″ H×2½–3′        W)—Smaller than ‘Nedsyelo’;    -   4. ‘Sea of Gold’ Juniper (3′ H×4′W)—Very similar to ‘Nedsyelo’;        ‘Nedsyelo’ shows yellow color on new growth for a longer period;    -   5. ‘Gold Lace’ Juniper U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,202        (3–4′H×5–6′W)—‘Nedsyelo’ shows more yellow growth in spring;    -   6. ‘Aorangi Gold’ Juniper (not patented)—Turns old gold in        winter; ‘Nedsyelo’ is more lemon gold in winter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The accompanying photographs show a specimen of the new cultivar as trueto color as is reasonably possible to make in an illustration of thischaracter.

FIG. 1 Mature ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper taken in late summer, showing compacthabit (10 years old).

FIG. 2 Sample of 3″ pot transplanted to 1 gallon container, showing size6 months after transplant (18 months old).

FIG. 3 Closeup of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper in early summer, showing brightyellow new growth on 11 year old plant.

FIG. 4 Closeup of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper showing bright yellow color of tipgrowth on mature plant (11 years old).

FIG. 5 Closeup of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper showing second year orange stem,first year bright yellow new growth and yellow green hues of interiorneedles on new growth (11 years old).

FIG. 6 is a photo taken in November showing sustained yellow color onone year old growth (11 years old).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper has been observed under a wide variety ofenvironmental and cultural conditions. The following observations anddescriptions are of plants (10 years old) growing at Amanda, Ohio. Inthese descriptions, color references are based on The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart and color terminology used in thedescriptions herein refers to plate numbers in this R.H.S. Color Chart.Phenotypic expression may vary with light intensity and environmentalconditions.

-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Juniperus chinensis (L).        -   Parentage.—Original plant: Juniperus chinensis            ‘Pfitzeriana’.        -   Propagation.—Cuttings.-   Plant:    -   -   Typical size.—1.45 meters tall by 2.0 meters wide.        -   Observed size.—Ranging from 0.7 meters tall by 1.2 meters            wide on 10 yr old plants to 1.45 meters tall by 2.0 meters            high on 15 year old plants.        -   Habit.—Mounded to flat topped spreading wider than tall;            densely branched, compact.-   Branches:    -   -   Lateral branches.—5–10.        -   Size.—Diameter: Base diameter on 15 yr plants is 254 mm,            76.2 mm on 10 yr old plants 3^(rd) rd year old shoots — 5 mm            in diameter, apical shoots — 3 mm diameter.        -   Color.—200D on oldest wood, 3^(rd) year old shoots            grey-orange group 177A. Apical shoots grayed-yellow 162C.        -   Texture.—Glabrous on young shoots, exfoliating on older            bark.-   Leaf:    -   -   Shape.—Juvenile needles temate and acicular, adult needles            flattened and scale like.        -   Size.—Adult needles 7–20 mm long, juvenile needles 4–9 mm            long.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture/substance.—Shrub medium coarse textured, juvenile            foliage prickly, adult foliage scale-like.-   Description of foliage: Young needles bright yellow intensifying    somewhat in winter but holding good color in summer (RHS yellow    group ranging from 3C to 6A). Interior needles dark green splashed    with yellow margins (RHS yellow group ranging from 151A to 151B).-   Width of variegation.—3–7 mm    -   -   Young foliage.—Upper and lower sides lemon yellow 7A older            needles merging to yellow-green 151B Mature interior foliage            is yellow-green 151B merging to green 141C.-   Transition zone between margins and central coloration: Yellow-green    151 C-   Mature foliage central: Yellow group 141C-   Petioles: 2–10 mm long adult, 4–7 mm long juvenile    coloration-interior green group 148C, apical yellow-green group 151    C.-   Internodes: 2–10 mm adult, 3–4 mm juvenile-   Hardiness: USDA zone 4-   Vigor: Slow, 4–6″ new growth per year.-   Pests/diseases:Bbag worms (Thyridopteryx emphemeraeformis), spruce    spider mite (Oligonydnis ununguis), shoot blight (Phomopsis    juniperova)-   Inflorescence: From observation over a 17-year period no fruit has    ever been noticed on any plants nor have any staminate cones been    observed on ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper.

1. A new and distinct variety of Juniperus chinensis plant named‘Nedsyelo’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.